This book just didn’t do it for me. It was too messy for my liking. The pacing changed constantly, there were too many plot holes and a few times I noticed that the wrong names were used in the wrong setting.
The ages confused me as well. The main character is supposed to be 35 for most of the book, but throughout the entire book she acted like she was 14 or 15. A lot of the other characters acted too much like teenagers when they were supposed to be adults as well.

The love interests was messy as well and the further you got into the book, the more toxic it seemed. The characters just didn’t fit that well together and their love didn’t make any sense to me.

I did however like the summer setting and the bonding between the sisters.

In this modern take on "Persuasion," we follow the story of Olivia and Fred, who fall in love as teenagers in the Hamptons. Life has other plans for both of them, and they lead separate existences, building their careers and lives with other people, but falling back into old patterns any time they're in the same city. When Olivia returns to her family home to clean it out, she has to revisit her past to be able to fully move on in her present.

This is one of the better modern Austen remakes that I've read in a while. It felt like a Carley Fortune novel, with sprinklings of "Carrie Soto Is Back" throughout, especially with all of the tennis references. I adored Fred and Olivia and was rooting for them the whole time. Olivia's ex, Wes, was a perfect villain, and I didn't see the twist at the end coming, but there was no way he was ever going to live up to Fred's charm bracelet. Most of the side characters are fleshed out, making me feel angry with Olivia's sisters for their lack of help, and I would love to read another story about Lucy and James' relationship.

ARC REVIEW
Summer after Summer
By Lauren Bailey

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (5 out of 5)

Publishing date: 5/7/24

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I ADORE second chance love when it starts as young love. Coming of age love is my FAVORITE.   Olivia and Fred meet as  teens, and as the book progresses, we learn about their relationship history. I am very fond of book timeliness spanning  many years because it usually show growth and transformation. This one does that!

I loved the beachside, Hamptons setting. Summer romance is also a fave of mine, so this continued checking all my boxes! ✔️

This was a DEBUT novel?! So so good!

There was even a "twist" which was so unexpected, but it was done so well.

I definitely think you should give this one a chance- especially if you are a fan of the things I mentioned above.

@laurenbaileyauthor great book!!! You will be an "auto buy" going forward, so don't stop now 🙂

Thank you, @alcovepress and @netgalley

I enjoyed this one! It’s based on Austen’s Persuasion which I am not super familiar with. I think that is was probably to my benefit because then I wasn’t anticipating everything that would happen. I have two qualms with the book, though. First the tortured love story - it honestly didn’t make much sense at all why Fred and Olivia couldn’t be together other than bad communication. Secondly while a family could be wealthy and not ‘do’ anything in Austen’s time, that same thing comes across unsympathetically in a modern setting. Bailey could have come up with a different reason why the dad was kind of out of it, or why there was a house needing to be sold. Other than that I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t particularly memorable.

This book was great, it felt fresh and not like anything else I've read lately. It kept me intrigued all the way through, I didn't want to put it down.

📖 ~ Summer After Summer
✍🏻 ~ Lauren Bailey
⭐~ 4/5
🌶️~ 2/5

I received an ARC, and anything shared in this review is solely my opinion!

I was immediately engrossed in Lauren's romance debut from the first chapter. 'Wow, this is giving me The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes,' was my first reaction upon seeing the cover. You get a summertime vibe from this book right away. When I started Summer After Summer, I recall having the best time ever!

Given Lauren's simple and straightforward writing style, I was immediately taken to the Hamptons. I devoured the story that Lauren wrote because I could see Olivia's emotions as I read the book. I was much more drawn to her as a character because of her point of view in the novel. Throughout the entire novel, I was able to identify with Olivia as a character and find parts of myself in her. Furthermore, book alternates between the present and the past to portray what Olivia and Fred experienced as teenagers and when they were younger. Additionally, I would say that as a reader, this gave me a better insight into their relationship and the way that Lauren Bailey made use of the second chance romance trope and Jane Austen's Persuasion story as the focal point of the plot, but by adding that modern twist, it was executed perfectly. 

Adding to that, I would say that Summer After Summer kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to stay up at night to continue and see where the story was going to keep on developing. There were moments while reading where I felt for Olivia and Fred. It was an engaging story with well-written characters that any reader would actually feel for and relate to. There were a few moments in the story where the pacing was a bit slow; however, in my opinion, it was until the story kicked off.

Thank you, Lauren Bailey and Alcove Press, for this e-ARC! I really appreciated reading this debut book!

* This review shall be posted on my Bookstagram page a week before the release of Summer After Summer. It will also be posted and available on my Goodreads and Storygraph page on 3rd April, 2024!*

The perfect summer read, I absolutely loved this storyline. It’s just what I needed to read while I was lounging back while my kids played. Each character has their own development and it flourished

Equal parts hopeful and sad, this sweet romantic story takes place across decades in five year increments where friends turned lovers turned friends continue to encounter each other. This book is a wonderful look at the ways in which life can turn us on different paths based on seemingly mundane decisions.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one but it was a nice story about family and love. I’d recommend it to a friend. Thank you NetGalley for the gifted arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Description: A woman returns to her family's Hamptons beach house for a final time—and a final chance at the love she's lost before, in this contemporary retelling of Persuasion..

As I have stated in many previous reviews, I am a sucker for a Jane Austen retelling. She is my literary queen. I also am a huge Persuasion fan. So this all combined for an Insta-click on NetGalley.

What I loved...
-The summer beach house setting is perfect for a romantic reunion.
- Fred was adorable.
- Young summer love flashbacks

What I didn't like
- The novel's pacing, sometimes I felt the plot was moving slowly and at other times, especially towards the end it was accelerating.
- Olivia wasn't a captivating protagonist. She was a very pale imitation of Anne Elliot.
-I wanted a little bit more of the present storyline. I wanted to FEEL that I wanted Fred and Olivia together. Instead, I received a love bombing that turned me off.


It's a real hit-and-miss for me.


Expected Publication Date 07/05/24
Goodreads Review 29/03/24

#SummerAfterSummer #NetGalley

Olivia Elliot has separated from her husband and returned to the family’s historic Hamptons home to help her father and sisters finalize the sale. Once there, she shocked to learn that her teenage first love has purchased the home.

Told in alternating timelines, clues to the truth about both the past and present are slowly doled out to a climax that seemed a little rushed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Olivia Taylor is heading to her home to help her family clean the house out. It's being sold and her father and sister will have to move out. Her husband Wes and her are having marital problems so she packs her stuff up and moves out. She will decide after the summer where she will live. The house is worth a lot of money and they family will each received a nice sum of money.
Olivia meets Fred when they were 15 and 17; over the years they have tried to have a relationship that always seems to blow up. Well Fred is the buyer of her home; seems no one thought to tell her.
This story spans a 20-year relationship of Fred and Olivia. Her friends and family have always interfered in their relationship and now after all the years where is it going this time.

As the title suggests, this is a perfect summer-y beach read, to prepare you for warmer days ahead. As we follow the main character, Olivia, back and forth from the age of 16 til now, we learn about all the changes she has gone through...and also all the things she still holds on for. While this is the ideal blueprint for a romance, we do have some sort of emotional pull towards Olivia, as we watch her live through all life throws at her, and wonder about the past.

Olivia Taylor is on her way back to her Hamptons home, where she has always felt the most at ease, and at peace. But this time she is returning in order to help the family pack up the house for the inevitable sale, she is separated from her husband after discovering his infidelity, and she feels like her life needs a course adjustment. Then once home she finds out the buyer of her childhood home is the one and only, Fred. The same Fred that has so much history with Olivia, the same one who was her "one and only" for a short time every summer for 4 years. But how is she supposed to interact with Fred, especially when she feels he is buying her house to spite her...

This is an enjoyable, light-hearted, romance reads. There is not tons of spice, but plenty of emotional tension that hold on for years and years. The ending is complete with a number of twits and catches to add some interest in the plot. Overall, the end is wrapped up with little to no loose ends, and complete with a feel good ending. I would consider this the perfect beach reach for this summer!

I thought this was a great read and got me ready for summer. The characters were likable at times there was a little too much back forth. But overall a really enjoyable read

Summer After Summer, the debut novel from Lauren Bailey, is a very successful modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Bailey puts her own unique spin on all the things you’ve come to expect from Austen’s works: drama, angst, and rich people going to each other’s houses.

Olivia is fleeing New York City and the end of her marriage by agreeing to move back to her childhood home in the Hamptons for one last summer as her reluctant family prepares for its sale. What she doesn’t expect is that the man who has agreed to buy the palatial beach home is none other than her teenage boyfriend, Fred. It’s been five years since they last tried to make a relationship work with each other. Will the fifth time be the charm or have they always been doomed in love?

I wanted to read this because of the Hamptons setting and the potential for older characters (second chance romance x 5? They better be in their mid to late 30s!) and Summer After Summer delivered on both fronts. The Hamptons setting is vivid and could almost be another character in a story that already features a full cast! The story is told in two timelines with Fred (37) and Olivia (35) in the present and flashing back their first summer together 20 years ago. The past timeline periodically jumps ahead 5 years as we follow along each time the two reconnect over the years. I love the way the chapters alternate between timelines to really propel the story forward. Plus, the pop culture references in the past are all detailed and spot on!

Fans of the original and of Austen’s works in general will appreciate the way Bailey honored the premise while adding her own twist. The characters are a bit flawed and at times unlikable, but that also feels appropriate considering the source material. I highly recommend this for readers who like reading about rich people problems and drawn out will they or won’t they stories. Overall, a very successful debut and the perfect beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A contemporary retelling of Persuasion, set in the coastal Hamptons. A light, easy read, ideal for summer. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove for the opportunity to read this eARC. 3/5 stars.

Summer After Summer is an emotional and captivating Persuasion retelling that I thoroughly enjoyed. As a devoted Janeite, I am often reluctant to read contemporary retellings, but I thought this one did the job very well - stayed true to the spirit of the story while making it fresh and modern.

Thanks to the publisher for the aARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars

A modern retelling of Persuasion, set in the Hamptons against the backdrop of old money and new - with a healthy dose of tennis thrown in.

This was an enjoyable and easy read, though I can’t help but feel like I’ve read this story a 100 times. It needed something original (I guess that’s where the tennis comes in) to make it stand out, because there are a lot of second chance romances set at the family summer house on the market at the moment.

Would still recommend for a summer/beach read!

I really enjoyed this book! I've read a good amount of summer romances that take place in the Hamptons, but this one stood apart from the others. I thought the whole Taylor family was very unique, and I was fascinated by their old money/no money ways. I loved hearing about the house, I feel like I could picture it easily. The tennis element of the story was really fun to read about as well. I think that the structure of the book made it easy to be engaged, it was almost like a mystery at times. I will definitely be recommending this book to patrons and friends. I think that people who enjoy Annabel Monaghan's books would really enjoy this book. Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for this ARC!